W HAT IS G R ADUATED LIC E NS I NG ? Graduated licensing, as defined by The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), is a system designed to phase in young beginning drivers to full driving privileges as they become more mature and develop their driving skills. Why do we have Graduated Licensing in New York? Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) is a proven method to helping teens become safe drivers; research suggests that the most comprehensive GDL programs are associated with reductions of 38% in fatal injury crashes, and 40% in personal injury crashes for 16-year-old drivers. New York State began a graduated driver licensing program in 2003 in response to the high number of teen fatalities resulting from motor vehicle accidents. On February 22, 2010 significant changes were made to strengthen New York’s GDL law. As we said before, motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens and the most preventable cause of death for this age group. The goal of graduated licensing is to prevent young driver involved fatalities through gradually introducing new teen drivers to the responsibility of driving and allowing time for practice. As each step in the process is completed, a teen will gain more experience needed to become a safe driver. GDL applies to all 16 and 17 year old drivers. Here’s how it works: Teen Driver Resource Guide • www.dmv.ny.gov | 16